Process of refining petroleum or similar oils and apparatus for carrying on this process.



M. J. TRUMBLE. PROCESS OF REFINING PETROLEUM 0B SIMILAR OILS ANDAPPARATUS F 0R CARRYING- 1111;" ii l4; 4%;

on THIS PROCESS." uPLlonlon n'Lnn 1,111.14. 1913.

V v M. J. TRUMBLE. rnoonss 0F RBFINING PETROLEUM 0R SIMILAR OILS ANDAPPARATUS FOR CARRYING ON THIS PROCESS.

q APPLICATION FILED JAN.14. 1913.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

" a SHEETS-8111111132.

[ma tian M. J. TRUMBLE. PROCESS OF BEFINING PETROLEUM 0R SIMILAR OILSAND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING ON THIS PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.1'4, 1913. 1 070 361 Patented Aug. 12,1913.

3 sums-sum 3. 1

UNITED STATES PATENT MILON JAMES TRUMBLE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNOR TO TRUMBLE BEFINING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

PROCESS OF REFINING- PETROLEUM OR SIMILAR OILS AND APPARATUS FORCARRYING ON THIS PROCESS.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14, 1913. Serial No. 742,063.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MiLoN Janus TRUMBLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia. have invented a new and useful Process of Refining Petroleumor Similar Oils and Apparatus for Carrying on this Process, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Natural petroleum oils as produced from the ground are composed of anindefinite number of series of oils, each of such series being of adifl'erent combination of'hydrogen and carbon and susceptible ofvolatilization at its own particular temperature.

In the ordinal means for partially vaporizing crude petroleumoilsheretofore in practical use, it has been difficult to expand the severalseries desired and maintain throughout the evaporating chamber auniformity of temperature by which the vapors thus'expanded are held intheir proper expanded condition-until the same are withdrawn from theevaporating chamber without some of the series thus expanded beingsubjected to a lower temperature than that at which they originallyexpanded or to a lower temperature at which some of the vapors willcondense. When such series are subjected to the least decrease intemperatlu'e within the still below that at which they expanded, theycondense and fall back into the oil or onto a heated surface where theyare again suddenly expanded. The sudden expansion of such condensed oil,in most instances, causes a disruption of the union of hydrogen andcarbon going to make that series and produces whatis com monly termed acracking or liberation of 'marsh gas or other light gases and'consequentdeposit of partially freed carbon. The marsh gas thus generated is anon- 'condensable gas and is a total loss in so far as refined productsfrom the oil are concerned, while the partially freed carbons remainingin the oil, or when carried into the distilled products. are a detrimentto the quality of the finally finished products. When suchpartiallyfreed carbons are carried over with the vapors into the finishedgasolenes. benzins or kerosenes they cause a discoloration of such oilswhen they are subjected to the actinic rays of light, and hence it isnecessary that such products be treated with acid in order to break downand precipitate such carbons into that which is commonly called sludgeby the refiner.

I have discovered that natural hydrocarbons existing as petroleum oilsmay be vaporized within an evaporating still and be carried out of suchstill without any of the different series of the oils condensing withinthe still, thereby preventing cracking of any of the oils being treated.In order to accomplish this end I have discovered that it is necessaryto provide an evaporating chamber wherein the vapors may be freed from apreviously heated body of oil which is continuously fed thereto and inwhich the oil is divided to decrease the tension of the oil upon thevaporizable series of oils, and to obstruct and retard the passage ofthe divided oil and to maintain such oil in uniformly divided conditionduring its passage through the chamber,- and to provide means to preventradiation of heat from such chamber, thereby preventing a decrease ofPatented Au 12,1913.

temperature within the chamber, and prochamber at or above thetemperature at which they were originally liberated from the oil.

I have found that a desirable form 0 evaporating chamber for thepurposes above described exists in the improvement in evaporators forpetroleum oils orother liquids invented by me for which Letters Patentof the United States was granted July 4th, 1911, No. 996,736, but otherforms of evaporating or. expanding chambers will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art of oil refining after having familiarizedthemselves with my present invention.

One very important object of my invention is to provide an improvedprocess of evaporating petroleum, as hereinafter more particularly setforth.

The principal object of iny invention is or similar oils may beeconomically refined =without disturbing the various series ofhydrocarbons that go to make up such oils. a

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a cheap and simpleapparatus which".

will effectually heat an oil to the point at which all'of'the seriesdesired to be distilled therefrom will volatilize, and provide anevaporating chamber arramged adjacent to such; heating apparatus toreceive the oil,

divide the oil to relieve the tension thereof upon the several seriescontained therein which are expanded to the point of vaporization,retard the oil in its passage therethrough to permit sutficient time forthe en tangled vapors to free themselves from the un'vaporized liquid,and to provide means for preventing heat radiation from such chamber andmaintaining the temperature of'such eva orating chamber at a parity withthat 0 the expanded series. whereby such expanded series will bemaintained in their expanded or volatilized condition until "tus for thepurposes described which will.

they are withdrawn from the evaporating chamber.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap andconvenient apparapractically conserve the heat applied through thefurnace.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingspecification, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

"My invention comprises first, the process of treating hydrocarbon oilsin which the bodv of oilis first heated to a temperature sufiicientlyhigh to volatilize all of the several series thereof which it'isdesiredto remove from' the oil and under smflicient pressure to maintainit in liquid form, in introducing such heated oil into a chamber,dividing the oil and while maintaining such divided condition retardingthe passage through such chamber to permit complete expansion andvaporization of the molecules of the selected series, maintaining bothoil and vapors at the temperature of the oil with the evaporatingchamber and insulating means surroundin such chamber whereby thetemperature within the whole of the ma am ity with the temperature ofthe heated oilfrom the heater, whereby condensation of vapors of oil areprevented within the "chamber.

My invention also includes in combination, an evaporating chamberconstructed to retard the flow of oil therethrough and maintain the oilin a suitably divided condition, and having a vapor outlet and aresiduum outlet for petroleum oils, means for heating a flowing body ofoil, means connecting such. oil heating means with the evaporatingchamber, heat insulating means arranged around such evaporating chamberfor maintaining the temperature within the evaporating chamber on aparity with the temperature of the heated oil. and means for dividingthe oilwithin the evaporating cham-v ber to release the tension upon theexpansible series therein at the temperature of the evaporating chamberand oil.

My invention also comprises the combina- ;tion of a furnace, means forheating a continuous flow of petroleum oil arranged within the furnace,a vertlcal evaporatmg chamber arranged adjacent to the furnace,a'conduit arranged to convey the heated-oil from the heating means inthe furnace to the top of the evaporating chamber and deliver the samethereinto to permit such liquid to pass by gravity therethrough, saidchamber being constructed to retard the flow of oil therethrough andmaintain the oil in a suitably divided coridition: such evaporatingchamber being insulated against heat radiation and provided withsuperheated steam inlet means thereto, whereby the temperature of theheated liquid introduced into the chamber is maintained during itspassage throu h, the chamber and the evolved vapors thereh-om aremaintained at the temperature at which they are rating chamber beingvided with vapor outlet means and residuum outlet means.

My invention also consists in the combination of furnacehaving a fluecommunicating therewith, a liquid heating coil arranged within thefurnace, and a vertical evaporating chamber having a vapor outlet andresi uum outlet. located inthe furnace flue,

e vplved. such evapomeans for conducting a liquid from the heating coilwithin the furnace into the top. of the evaporating chamber to deliver aheated liquid thereto to pass, downwardly through such evaporatingchamber. said chamber be ing constructed to retard the flow of oiltherethrough and maintain the oil in a suit ably divided condition andinsulating means surrounding the lower part of the evaporatin chamber.

y invention further consists in providing a uniformly heated evaporatingchamher which is insulated against heat radiation', oil inletmeansforintroducing a heated oil into the top of such evaporating by theexpanded or vaporized portions of the oil are maintained in a buoyantcondition and prevented from coming into contact with a coldertemperature while within the evaporator, vapor outlet means forconducting the vapors from the chamber, and residuum outlet means forconducting residuum from the bottom of the chamber- The accompanyingdrawings illustrate a preferred form of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the apparatus on line :v w Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a front elevation of the furnace and oil heating coil. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal, vertical section of the furnace showing one retort. Fig. 5is a horizontal, sectional plan, on reduced scale, showing thearrangement of the furnace and one form of the heat insulating meansaround the evaporating chamber,

such evaporating chamber being shown in its preferred relation with thefurnace.

I provide a furnace 1 having a liquid heating coil 2 arranged therein,such heating coil preferably consisting of a plurality of sections oftubular retorts such as 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 lying parallel with each otherwithin the furnace and connected together at their ends to form acontinuous coil. The petroleum oil to be heated is admitted at 4 andpasses through each of the several retorts 3,

. and when raised to the temperature desired Openings (1, I) and 0 areprovided in the front wall of the furnace for the introduction of fuelto heat the retorts. The rear portion of walls 6 and 7 is cut away atthe end farthest from the openings a, b and c to provide passage forproducts of combustion from compartments 8 and 9 to compartment 10 andinto the throat 11 of the flue 12.

A vertical evaporating chamber 13, in order to be insulated against heatradiation, is arranged within the flue 12 and is seated upon a support14 which has a concave face 14 to receive the convex bottom 14 -of theevaporating chamber, and also has a passageway '31 through which pipe 31is arrangedto withdraw residuum from the bottom of the chamber 13.Channels 15 and 16 are arranged from the throat 11 through thelower'portion of the support 14 and communicate with ports 17, 18, 19and 20 which penetrate such support and permit the heat leaving thefurnace to'be carried into the flue and evenly distributed around theevaporating chamber.

As shown, I provide an insulating Wall 21 which entirely surrounds thelower portion of the'evaporating chamber. Such wall 21 may be of firebrick, asbestos or any other heat insulating material and may rise toany desired height around theevaporating chamber. Such wall 21, asshown, prevents the flame from the furnace coming into contact with thewalls of the evaporating chamber. 'Suc'h wall 21, as shown, prevents theflame from the furnace coming into contact with the walls of theevaporating chamber and thereby prevents any of the oil therein frombeing too highly heated. Such wall evaporating'chamber 13 by means of apipe 5 which is insulated against heat radiation by a covering ofasbestos 22, the pipe 5 when thus insulated being carried upwardly fromsuch retort outside of the flue 12 until it reaches the height of thetop of the evapo 'rating chamber whence it crosses over to the flue andthrough the side thereof to the center of the top 23 of theevaporatingchamber through which it enters as at 24. I have shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2 how such pipe 5 may be run directly into the flue 12 at apoint slightly above the level of the retorts and into the evaporatingchamber and upwardly therein, the numeral 5, in dotted linesaindicatingthe pipe, and 22, in dotted lines, indicating the insulation surrounding the'pipe outside of the flue. this arrangement, as shown indotted lines, the oil is delivered centrally within the evaporatingchamber the same as shown by pipe 5 in solid lines.

A spreader 25 is arranged below the delivery point of the oil within theevaporating chamber, which spreads the same onto a perforated diskshaped bafiie plate 26, through which it falls onto a like perforatedbaflle 27. In its passage through the perforations in the battles 26 and27, the oil is thoroughly broken and agitated which reduces the tensionthereof upon the several series of oils which are expansible at thetemperature existing in the oil. The agitated oil after passing throughthe last bafl le 27 falls upon an imperiorate spreading cone 28 whichdirects the liquid onto the wall 29 01 the chamber over which it flowsto the bottom 30 of the evaporator where it is collected and withdrawnthrough a suitable pipe such as 31. lmperforate spreading cones 32, 33,34 and 35 are provided along the chamber to re direct any oil back ontothe wall in case through any cause it might fall away there from. Thebattle plates 26, 27, and imperiorate spreading cones 28, 32, 33, 34,and 35 which direct the oil upon the inner wall 29 of the chamber overwhich it flows downward, constitute, with said walls, means forretarding the flow of the oil whereby to permit the expanded moleculesto fully vaporize while the oil is maintained in. a divided condition.It will of course be understood however that other means for soretarding the oil during its flow through the vaporizing chamber may, ifdesired, be employed under my invention.

The spreader 25, battle plates 26 and 27 and imperforate cones 28, 32,33, 34 and 35 are shown as supported within the chamber by means of aperforated vapor collecting pipe 36 which is perforated beneath each ofthe several cones as indicated at 37. Vapor outlets 38, 39 and 40 leadfrom the vapor collecting pipe 36 through the Wall of the evaporatingchamber and through the wall of the flue 12 and enter a vertical vaporcolumn 41 outside the fine. A vapor condensing line 42 connects with thevapor column 41 through which the vapors are drawn to a suitablecondenser, such vapor line 42 being shown in Fig. 1 as broken in orderto contract the view. The vapor column 41 is supported upon a post 43 inorder to relieve the strain upon vapor outlets 38, 39 and 40.

A vapor relief line 44 is provided to take any vapor generated withinthe several retorts and is connected to each of the several retortsthrough the legs 45. Such vapor relief line connects with the oil pipe 5into which all vapors generated within the several retorts. aredelivered and conveyed thereby into the evaporating chamber.

Valves 46 are provided-in the several vapor legs 45 to regulate thepassage of vapors from the several retorts to the vapor relief ine.

A. by-pass pipe 47 is provided through which oil may be passed from theretorts without passing through the pipe 5 into the evaporating chamber,valves 48 and 49 being arranged to be opened or closed as needed todirect the flow into the evaporating chamber or through the by-pass 4?.It is to be understood that such icy-pass 47 leads to some suitablereceiving tank for such oil. Such by-pass pipe is broken in the liketemperature indicating and recordingmeans 49 is provided to indicate theinterior temperature of the evaporating chamber. The tube from theindicating and recording means 49 is shown in Fig. 2 passing through atube in the left side of the flue 12 and into the evaporating chamber13. By this means 1 am able to observe the equality or inequality of theinterior temperature of the evaporator and the oils being deliveredthereto.

By locating the evaporating chamber within the fine I am enabled toinsulate the chamber against heat radiation, as the heat from thefurnace will generally, to all practical ends, be sutficient to maintainthe temperature of the interior of the chamber, but to insure againstany decrease of temperature therein, and to insure the maintenance ofthe buoyancy of the expanded oils, I pro vide an auxiliary interiorheater for the chamber comprising a steam superheating coil 50 which isarranged within the influence of the heat .in the furnace at 1.0 andwhich is connected by pipe 51 which enters the evaporating chamber anddelivers steam to a perforated coil 52 in the bottom of the evaporatingchamber. By means of such superheating coil 50 and coil 52 I am enabledto at any time introduce steam heated to the desired temperature to theinterior of such evaporating chamber to maintain the temperature withinthe same at the required degree. As shown, such perforated coil 52' islocated at a point within the evaporating chamber where it will besubmerged in the oil at the bottom of the chamber, and when steam isdelivered therefrom it will first pass into an oil body and thence risethroughout the entire body of the still, thereby maintaining everythingwithin the chamber at the same temperature, as well as keeping all ofthe expanded oil vapors afloat until they have an opportunity to escapefrom the chamber.

The form of insulation surrounding the evaporating chamber may be variedand other forms of such insulation against heat radiation substituted,as for instance surrounding the entire chamber with the wall 21, inwhich case the temperature within the chamber would be maintained by theadmission of the superheated steam, in which the operation of the deviceon account of the requirement of a less amount of superheated steambeing required in maintaining the parity of temperature within theevaporating chamber. I

I provide a vertical indicating column 55 outside of the flue whichcommunicates with the bottom of the evaporating chamber, and below theoil body therein by means of leg 56, and with the evaporating chamberabove such oil body by means of leg 57. Pet cocks 58 are arranged alongthe length of such indicating column whereby the attendant may determinethe height of oil Within the bottom of such evaporating chamber.

The method of operation of the particular embodiment of my inventiondisclosed herein is as follows: The oil in its crude state is admittedto the tubular retorts 3, in the furnace 1, and heat is applied by anysuitable means, such as the use of a fuel oil, to the interior of thecompartments 8, 9, and 10. The oil passes through-these retorts inorder, being admitted through the pipe 4 and being carried therefromthrough the insulated pipe 5 to the top of the evaporating chamber. Aspreviously explained the oil is raised to the temperature required forevaporation of the series'desired in these retorts before being admittedto the evaporator. The oil entering the top of the evaporating chamber13 first passes on to the spreader 25 from which it falls on to aperforated bafiie 26 through which it falls to a like perforated baflie27 which tends to further separate and distribute it. From this bailie,plate 27 it falls on the spreading cone 28 and passes therefrom to theinner walls 29 of the evaporating chamber from which it passesdownwardly in a finely divided state. Additional spreader cones 32, 33,34, and 35. tend to return to the inside wall of the condensing chamberany oil which may pass through the perforations 37 in the vaporcollecting pipe 36, and are taken therefrom through the vapor outlets38, 39, and 40 into the vapor column 4.1 outside the evaporatingchamber. Heat may be applied to the evaporating chamber from the outsideby the flue gases or by the introduction of steam to the perforated coil52 in the bottom of the evaporating chamber. Various methods ofmaintaining theinterior of this chamber at the critical temperature mayof course be employed without departing from the spirit of my inventionas hereinbefore explained, for example: The evaporating chamber may beso heat insulated that it will not be necessary to apply external heat.The vapors from the vertical vapor column a l are drawn off through thevapor condensing line42 to suitable condensers not shown.

It is to be understood that it is desirable to provide asufficient spacewithin the evaporating chamber above the body of oil collected in thebottom thereof to accommodate the expanded "apors from the oil withoutpressure, and it is desirable to arrange the means for dividing the oilto relieve the tension thereof upon the expanded vapors in such a manneras to avoid entraining them with the descending oils, but I desire it tobe understood that I consider my invention to broadly include anyarrangement of an expanding or evaporating chamber, having vapor outletand residuum outlet means, which is arranged to receive a previouslyheated oil and is provided with means to prevent heat radiation or lossof heat from such chamber, and means for adding auxiliary heat theretoin order to maintain the expanded vapors in a buoyant condition,

thereby preventing any contraction or condensation thereof while withinthe evaporating chamber.

In order to fully comprehend my invention it is necessary that theperson desiring to practice the same should be informed as to thesensitive nature of .petroleum oil vapors and their requisite treatment,and should understand the importance of maintaining the temperature ofthe expanded or volatilized oil within the chamber in which it is freedfrom the entanglement with the heavier oil in which it has heretoforeexisted, and also the importance of maintaining the vapor in a fullyexpanded condition until it is withdrawn to a condensing apparatus whereit will contract to its normal condition, and in that connection Idesire to say that my invention is not to be confused with those inwhich attempts have been made to reduce all of the series ofhydrocarbons existing in a natural oil to one series by heating the oilsunder pressure to a very high temperature and then suddenly expandingsuch highly heated oils within an expanding chamber, for the reason thatin such processes the 'molecular structure is broken in the lower serieswith the view of combining them with the higher series. This attempt toso break up and recombine the several series of an oil isnever-accomplished except at the cost of generating methane or otherlight gas, with its attendant loss in volume of oil treated.

By the use of my invention a gentle action is had and all breaking ofthe molecules of oil is prevented. All of the oil taken from theoriginal oil in vapor form desired, and no evidence of distillationortreatment can be detected, thus showing that no breaking of the oilshas resulted, This feature is especially valuable in such cases as wherean amount of water exists in combination with a petroleum oil and thesame can only be removed by" heat. By the use of my apparatus the oilcan be heated-to the degree necessary to vaporize the water and therebybreak its bond with the oil. The vapors of water and whatever vapors ofoil are evolved are kept buoyant within the evaporating chamber untilthey are drawn into the condenser. When such vapors of water and oilhave been cooled down and condensed, the oil will rise to the top of thewater and may be drawn 0d, after which it can be again mixed with theoil from which it has been extracted without leaving any traces that thesamehas ever been treated. v

I desire'uit to be understood that by the term insulated against loss ofheat by radiation I mean to define the loss of temperature within theevaporating chamber through the heat of the vapors and oil within suchchamber being absorbed by the surrounding atmosphere, in which event thevapors within the chamber woulddecrease in temperature and contractaccordingly,

and that series which was at its critical tom perature of vaporizationwould be influenced to condense; It is of the essence of my-invention toat all times provide means whereby all of the vapors liberated from theoil within: the chamber are never-subjected to a contracting temperaturewhile within the evaporating chamber.

What l claim is v 1 The process of distilling from petroleum an oil of agiven vaporizing temperature which consists of raising the temperatureof the petroleum to said vaporizing temperature, subsequently passingthe petroleum through a. vaporizing chamber maintained at saidvaporizing temperature throughout and introducing into the chamber aheated gaseous medium having a temperature greater than 'tha't'of thepetroleum when it enters said chamber there ing the flow of thepetroleum to maintain it in a divided condition during its passagecertain value fi'om a. complex mixture of hydrocarbons, which consistsof raising the- I itnaintaining; the vapors in their expands "form,retardevaporatin temperature of the mixture while in liquidform to thevaporizing temperature of a mixture and retarding its flow therethroughso as to maintain the mixture in a divided condition during its passagethrough said r chamber, "and introducing in said chamber superheatedsteam at a temperature above that of the incoming mixture.

3. In an apparatus for distilling petro .leum and preventingcondensation of the vapors thereof within the evaporating chamher, thecombination of oil eating means,

an evaporating chamber having a vapor out-.

let and residuum outlet arranged adjacent to.

such oil -heating means constructed to receiveand finely divide the oiland to effect a retardation of the oil while passing therethrough, meansfor conveying the heated oil from the heating meansand delivering thesame to the interior of the evaporating chamber, insulating means aroundevaporating chamber adapted and arran ed to prevent loss of heattherefrom by ra iation, and means for introducing a. heated gaseous'medium' to the interior of such evaporating chamber, the temperature ofthe evaporating chamber being maintained the.

same throughout as that of the incoming oil.

4. In an apparatus for distilling petrolearn and preventing thecondensation of the vapors thereof within the evaporating chamber, thecombination of a furnace, an oil heating coil arranged therein, anevaporating chamber arranged adjacent to such furnace provided withmeans to divide the oil and constructed and arranged to retard the flowof oil therethrou h, insulating means arranged around suc evaporatingchamber to prevent heat radiation therefrom, means for introducin steaminto the chamber at atemperature a ove that of the incomin oil, meansfor conveying an heated within t e coil in the furnace to the top of theevaporating chamber, means for withdrawin vapors from the chamber, andmeans %or withdrawing residuum from the chamber, the temperature of theevaporating chamber being maintained the same throughout a's'that of theincoming oil.

5. In an apparatus for distilling petro-L such 1* for connecting theeilheatingooil with the chamberito deliver the oil heatediin it e1 coilinto the upper portionioi the evaporat ng chamber, means within *the'evaporating chamber adapted to'divide such neated oil too reducethetension tl l ereof-on bergf'and residuum joutlet 'meansfrom the] thev'olatilizable vapors therein at'the .tem- "chamber, thet'emperature ofthe'ex aporating t p erature of the oil and also, toretard the chamberbeingmaihtained the same thronghflow of the oil-through the gchambeninsllout asithatio the oil. 4 latin'g means arranged around sueh-evapo-In testimony whereof, I ave hereunto set rating chamberto preventradiation of heat my hand at Los Angeles, "California; this 7th.

' therefrom, means for superheating steam, day of January, 1913.

' means for introducing such superheated v steam'to the interior of suchevaporating 4 1 MILON J MES TR'IJMBLE; chamber whereby the temperatureof the In presence of 7 vapors evolved Within the chamber are main- F;M. TOWNSEND, tained, vapor outlet means from the cham- A A. J. GUTZLER.

